Ardanians
The Ardanians are the principal inhabitants of the realm of Ardadain . Descended from Kuros, these High Men are generally long-lived. They are tall and burly, and possess fair skin. RACIAL ORIGINS The Ardanians are descended from Kuros the Great, and are a part of the people known as the Parzifans. Originally native to distant Spartos , the original ancestors of these people battled the Death Queen in ancient legend. Alone of all men, the descendants of Kuros possess both Elven and God blood in their lineage. POLITICAL STRUCTURE The Ardanians live in a feudal society, like their ancient ancestors, and are ruled by a King, who has absolute power, and an advising council. The Realm of Ardadain falls under the rule of the Atlantean Empire , though the Empire rarely interferes. SOCIAL STRUCTURE Ardadain is a feudal society, and as such, each person has his or her own place. Society is divided into roughly four classes; Royalty, Nobility, Commoners and serfs. These classes are not rigid, and its possible to get higher via marriage, or lower via bad luck or bad deeds. Commoners generally occupy themselves with crafts, as well as farming and hunting. A man who proves himself in battle is occasionally knighted, thus raising him and all his descendants into nobility; a knight who dishonours himself can be stripped of land and title, which affects every generation to come. Ardanians are obsessed with family and lineage, and all like to display their heraldric devices- many of these crests date back to the third age or beyond. Most educated Ardanians can quote the history of their family’s deeds, and many occupy the same roles now as they did a millenia ago- for example, the minor family of Berric have always been armorers for the King. Most Ardanians refer to each other by their surname, except between family and friends. MILITARY STRUCTURE The King maintains a large standing army, known as the Royal Army . This consists of Knights at the highest level, as well as Griffon-riders . There is also another group known as the Royal Rangers . These generally keep the lands safe for travellers. In addition, each duke maintains his/her own armies. CURRENCY Ardanian currency is worth quite a lot in the Empire, only falling behind Malidor , and Atlantea itself. Most coins are minted in The King’s Vaults, in Angost . Ardadain coins are round, and have the mottoes'' 'From his Majesty's Mint' and '''Long live the King':· Regal- 4cm diameter gold coin, worth 1gp. One face has the King's head, whilst the other has a dragon. Crown- 4cm diameter silver coin, worth1 sp. One face has the Queen's head, whilst the other has a dragon. Griff- 4cm diameter bronze coin, worth1 bp. One face has the Crown Prince's head, the other has a griffin. Copper- 4cm diameter copper coin,worth 1cp. One face has the Ardadain symbol, the other has a sword. Penny- 3cm diameter tin coin, worth 1tp. One face has the Ardadain symbol, the other has a sword. APPEARANCE Ardanians vary a lot in their appearance, though most are fair-skinned. Their hair ranges from blond to black, and even sometimes red, and their eyes are a multitude of different colours. Males tend to wear brightly coloured tunics and breeches, whilst women adorn themselves with long cotton dresses. Jewelry is popular with upper class women. HOUSING Most Ardanian houses are built from grey stone, with thatched or tiled roofs. Many are two-story, and include at least two bedrooms, and a living room with an hearth. Noble Ardanians generally live in mansions, with dozens of rooms, and at least three floors. DIET The Ardanians eat large amounts of meat, particularly boar, rabbit, lamb, chicken and beef. Particularly rich people have access to duck and venison. In addition, plenty of grain products, dairy products and vegetables are available. Fish is generally restricted to the coastal dwellers, or the rich inlanders. WORSHIP All of the Tolton gods are respected and worshipped in Ardadain, but the main deity is Eleniel . Eleniel adopted the Ardanians, and guided them to their current home, so the legends say. There is usually at least one temple dedicated to her in every town, and sometimes even a village. TEMPLATE: ARDANIAN NOBLE (HIGHMAN ) STATS ST: 10 CO: 10 QU: -5 AG: 0 PR: 10 SD: 0 IN: 0 ME: 0 EM: 0 RE: 0 LU: 0 APP: 5 ADOLESCENT SKILLS Body Dev 3 Weapon 1 3 Weapon 2 1 Heraldry 2 History: Angoloth 3 Basic Maths 1 Religion: Eleniel 3 Religion: Toltoni 1 Riding 2 Appraisal 1 MIA: Chain 2 Public Speaking 1 Language: Parzifan 7 Language: Ardanian 7 Language: Argani 3 Background Pts. 30 Special- All get 25% of original DP's to spend, in addition to the above. TEMPLATE: ARDANIAN RURAL STATS ST: 5 CO: 5 QU: 0 AG: 0 PR: 5 SD: 5 IN: 0 ME: 0 EM: 5 RE: 0 LU: 0 APP: 0 ADOLESCENT SKILLS Body Dev 2 Foraging 2 Hunting 2 Fire-Starting 1 Cookery 1 Weather-Watching 1 Craft 1 2 Singing 1 Horticulture 4 Skinning 1 Dancing 1 Herding 3 Region Lore 2 Language: Ardanian 6 Background Points: 60 Special- All get 25% of original DP's to spend, in addition to the above. TEMPLATE: ARDANIAN URBAN STATS ST: 5 CO: 5 QU: 0 AG: 0 PR: 5 SD: 5 IN: 0 ME: 0 EM: 5 RE: 0 LU: 0 APP: 0 ADOLESCENT SKILLS Body Dev 1 Weapon 1 2 Craft 1 5 Craft 2 3 Streetwise 3 Trading 1 Lore: Hometown 4 General Perception 1 1 Evaluation 1 Language: Parzifan 6 Language: Ardanian 7 Background Pts. 50 Special- All get 35% of original DP's to spend, in addition to the above. Category:Ardadain Category:Races Category:Mannish